Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’, characterized by its semi-upright to trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; large violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSURF SKYTATSU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely branching and freelyflowering Petunia plants with a semi-upright to trailing plant habit andnumerous large attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2009 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietaryselection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number BOSK, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPetunia×hybrida identified as code number Px2613-01, not patented, asthe male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in June, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan sinceJune, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plantare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’ as a newand distinct Petunia plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright to trailing plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Large violet-colored flowers.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are larger than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely branching than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the female parent selection        differ in flower throat color as plants of the female parent        selection have white-colored flower throats.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are larger than plants of the male        parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely branching than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower throat color as plants of the male parent        selection have bluish purple-colored flower throats.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia‘KEIlavbu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,542. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the newPetunia and ‘KEIlavbu’ differed primarily in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were taller and narrower than        plants of ‘KEIlavbu’.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia were more upright than and not as        spreading as plants of ‘KEIlavbu’.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had longer internodes than plants        of ‘KEIlavbu’.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely flowering than        plants of ‘KEIlavbu’.    -   5. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of        ‘KEIlavbu’.    -   6. Petal margins of plants of the new Petunia were more undulate        than petal margins of plants of ‘KEIlavbu’.    -   7. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘KEIlavbu’ differed in flower        color as plants of ‘KEIlavbu’ had lighter violet-colored        flowers.    -   8. Plants of the new Petunia had longer peduncles than plants of        ‘KEIlavbu’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in 15-cm containersin an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Petunia production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and nighttemperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when thephotographs and the description were taken. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Sunsurf Skytatsu’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number BOSK, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number Px2613-01, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at            temperatures of about 15° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and            winter.—About three weeks at temperatures of about 15° C. to            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Semi-upright to trailing plant            habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches            developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch            development; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 69.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 33.5 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 28.8 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.7 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2.75 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.        -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 144C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Width.—About 2 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A; venation,            close to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 143C; venation, close to 144D.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 4.4 mm. Diameter: About 2.7 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 144C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers            arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with            usually about 83 flowers developing per plant; flowers face            upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants of            the new Petunia initiate and develop flowers about two weeks            after planting; long flowering period, flowering commences            naturally during the spring and plants flower continuously            throughout the summer until late autumn in Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten            days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.2 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 3.9 cm.        -   Throat diameter.—About 1.1 cm.        -   Tube diameter, base.—About 3.5 mm.        -   Tube length.—About 2.75 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.8 cm. Diameter: About 6.6 mm.            Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Close to N82A.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 2.3 cm. Petal width: About 2.4 cm. Petal shape:            Spatulate. Petal apex: Mucronate. Petal margin: Entire,            undulate. Petal texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;            velvety. Petal texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous.            Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Pubescent.            Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to N88A.            Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to N88C. Petal,            fully opened, upper surface: Close to N88B; venation, close            to N88B; color becoming closer to N88C with development.            Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to N87D; venation,            close to N87D. Throat: Close to N88C; venation, close to            N88A. Tube: Close to N87C; venation, close to N87C.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals in a single whorl and fused at the base. Sepal            length: About 1.4 cm. Sepal width: About 4.8 mm. Sepal            shape: Narrowly elliptic. Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin:            Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.            Color: Developing and fully developed sepals, upper surface:            Close to 143A. Developing and fully developed sepals, lower            surface: Close to 143B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.            Stamen length: About 1.6 cm to 2 cm. Anther shape:            Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 1.6 mm by 2 mm. Anther            color: Close to 4D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:            Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil            length: About 2.2 cm. Style color: Close to 145D. Stigma            shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to            144A. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Seeds and fruits: Seed and            fruit development have not been observed on plants of the            new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘SunsurfSkytatsu’ as illustrated and described.